Patrick Terence James, a descendent of James and McGloin, William Toudouze Jr., a descendent of James M. Grover, Charles Wilson Campbell, a descendent of J.T. James and Thomas Pugh, Robert Dougherty, a descendent of N. Gussett, Robert William Strause, a descendent of Thomas Pugh; Richard Ray Pugh, a descendent of Thomas Pugh, Byron Hinton, a descendent of Joshua Hinton and John Powell, and William Pugh James, a descendent of Thomas James and Thomas Pugh unveiled the first Live Oak County historical marker in May 1967.

After years of dormancy, the Live Oak County Historical Commission is back in action and mixing the old with the new by building their first website and adding two new historical markers to the county.

The two new historical sites are the Loma Sandia Indian Cemetery and the J.M. and Sarah Cunningham home, the first home built in Three Rivers.

The Loma Sandia Indian Cemetery also received the distinction of being one of the 10 historical sites to be funded by the Texas Historical Commission this year.

“It is a huge feather in our cap for the county and the Live Oak County Historical Commission because it is a big deal; it’s the most complete Indian burial ground ever found,” LOCHC chair Sue Denniston said. “It’s (the commission) been pretty dormant the last few years, and it has been a few years since we got a new historical marker.”

Unveiling ceremony dates for each historical marker will be announced as the marker steering committee finishes planning. Denniston said they would like to have a Cunningham family descendent speak at the unveiling and make it a big community event.

As for the commission’s other project, www.liveoakchc.com, Denniston described it as being a work in progress. New historical information about Live Oak County is added to the website as things progress with the LOCHC.

“Kurt House said, ‘If you don’t have a memory, you don’t have a person, and if you don’t have a history, you don’t have a place,’” Denniston said. “It is so true; so it is important that the commission honors these places that are important to the county and the cities and lets people know about them.”

Denniston said the LOCHC was dormant for several years and was recently reactivated under Live Oak County Judge Jim Huff’s auspices with Denniston as the appointed chairperson.

“We have only recently been (re)activated, so we are letting the county know we are here and letting the county know what we are doing,” Denniston said.

The LOCHC’s first meeting was in January and volunteers were called upon to fill chair and committee positions.

The commission reorganized, membership was revised, and the commission’s goals were discussed during their second meeting of the year in May at the historic Buck West House in George West.

In the second meeting, Denniston presented positions currently functioning and those she hoped to fill. Volunteers or additional positions were listed, and the commission membership directory was brought up to date.

“As the year goes on, we are going to gain more and more momentum,” Denniston said.

The revisions were submitted to Judge Huff to be voted on by the Commissioners Court. Once approved, chair positions will be announced.

Positions include a commission co-chair, secretary, historical marker chair, an education chair, publicity chair and web master. The formation of volunteer committees for cleanup/maintenance of historical markers, new marker unveiling ceremonies, fundraising and community education was also put on the table for discussion.

For more information about the LOCHC, contact Denniston at 361-343-2094.